Babe Endings
by crooked-little-smile
Summary: Songfic's that all have babe endings not always joe friendly.
1. What might've been

_I own nothing no matter how much wishing and preying I've done._

* * *

I stood on the door step trying to garner the courage to knock on the door. Ranger was waiting for me in the car on the curb, and I took courage from that and knocked on the door quietly. When Joe answered, he looked at me before taking a step back and letting me in.

We sat in the living room in silence for a while until Joe sighed and said, "Cupcake?"

"Joe. I think we both know that we never would have lasted." I said, tears filling my eyes.

"Did you even think about me at all when you left 6 months ago with Manoso to catch that skip in Arizona?" Joe asked heatedly. I felt a tear slide down my cheek because, yeah, I had thought about him. I'd done a lot of thinking while I'd been away.

**_Sure I think about you now and then  
But it's been a long, long time  
I've got a good life now, and I've_** **_moved on  
So when you cross my mind..._**

"Joe I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you but we were always fighting. Over every little thing, we would start WWIII. I can't live like that!" I said.

"I though you loved me Steph." He said quietly. I saw that he had tears in his eyes, too. "I want you in my life, Cupcake. I want you to marry me so I can wake up with you every morning and go to bed holdng you in my arms."

"Joe, don't do this, please." I begged him. The tears were rolling now and I couldn't stop them.

**_I try not to think about what might have been  
Cause that was then  
And we have taken different roads  
We can't go back again  
There's no use givin in  
And theres no way to know  
What might have been_**

"I've had a long time to think about this and I've made up my mind." I told him.

"Yeah the entire time he's probably been there making you think that he can make you happy!" He shouted.

"No Joe!" I shouted back. "We caught that skip 2 weeks in and I've been staying in an appartment while Ranger went to Nevada!"

He stared at me, stunned while I continued.

"I needed time to think, alone so no one could cloud my mind and I realized that I'm not what you want." I said. "Not what you need... You need some one who can stay at home and take care of your children and love you the way you deserve. I spent a lot of time thinking about how we would have ended up and I can't do that to you."

**_We can sit and talk about this all night long  
And wonder why we didn't last  
Yes, they might be the best days we will ever know  
But we'll have to leave them in the past..._**

"Cupcake..." He sighed and I saw the defeat in his eyes. Finally he came to sit beside me. "So your going to try life with Manoso?" He asked.

"Umm... Yeah. I think I am." I said.

"Are you... Does he make you happy?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. He helps me fly." I whispered with a smile.

"Is he going to be able to give you every thing you want? What if you want marriage or children in the future? Can he give you what I can?" He was back to being mad.

"I'm not sure yet." I said. "But I'm going to take that risk."

"Why?" He choked out.

"Because I want to fly. And I know that if I start to fall he'll be there to catch me."

"I can catch you, too" He said.

"No, you can't. You'd be their to take me to the hospital and lecture me on my antics." I told him. It was painful to say but I had to. "He never would have let me hit the ground."

"What if I tried harder, and we could have a life together. A good life." He pleaded.

"Joe. We can't work. Please don't play What If with me."

**_So try not to think about what might have been  
Cause that was then  
And we have taken different roads  
We can't go back again  
There's no use givin in  
And theres no way to know  
What might have been_**

He sagged down on the couch and I knew he was trying to stop the tears. And moments later, he looked up at me and asked,

"Can we still be friends?"

"Yes" I said. I saw it in his eyes. He knew we never would have worked and he was accepting it. His eyes were sad, but understanding.

**_That same old look in your eyes  
It's a beautiful night, I'm so tempted to stay  
But too much time has gone by  
We should just say good bye, and turn and walk away..._**

We stood up and after a second he leaned in and hugged me.

"I'll always love you Cupcake." He whispered, giving me a light kiss on the cheek. I looked at him with tear filled eyes.

"I know. I'll always love you, too, Joe."

He led me to the door and I walked to Rangers Porche with out a backward glance.

I buckled myself in and and rested my head on the seat.

"Babe? You okay?" Ranger asked beside me.

"Yes." I said. "I'm fine."

Joe came out and around to Rangers side. Ranger rolled down his window.

"I want you to take care of her, okay?" Joe asked. Ranger probably would have taken offence but even he could see the senserity in Joe's eyes.

"Yes," He said. "I will take care of her."

"How can you be sure you can keep her safe?"

Ranger was silent for a moment, just staring at Joe before he spoke.

"I know that I will never let any one hurt her. I won't let any one lay a hand on what is mine." He said with out hostility.

"Good." Joe said before walking back to his house.

**_And try not to think about what might have been  
Cause that was then  
And we have taken different roads  
We can't go back again  
There's no use givin in  
And theres no way to know  
What might have been  
No we'll never know, what might have been_**

I heard this song on the radio and as I listened to it this story popped into my head. I hope you liked it and if you've never heard the song you should try to find it.

What might have been... By Little Texas.

Please review and tell me what your reaction was!


	2. Broken

Song I heard on CMT during the move "Broken Bridges" To hear song go to you tube and look for Broken by Lindsey Haun. Don't own any one except Xandr.

* * *

I sat at the bar and finished my beer, listening to the man on stage singing karaoke. He was too drunk to care that he sounded like he was a dying cat. I was just drunk enough to sign up.

When he stopped singing the guy in charge asked what song I wanted.

"None." I said. "I remember the words."

I set a bar stool on the center of the stage and grabbed the mic. The back round music started and I closed my eyes. I'd heard this song a long time ago when the Dick had cheated on me. For some reason the song hadn't fit then. But it did now.

Wake up to a Sunny Day  
Not a cloud up in the sky  
And then it starts to rain

I was surprised when I saw the merry men come in with Lula, Connie, and Mary Lou, and Ranger. They looked like they'd all been really sad lately and I knew why.

My latest stalker had been different then all the others. More dangerous. And I hadn't wanted to risk the people I love, so I'd left. Taken a bus out to Newark and waited for the psycho to come and get me. It had taken a while so I'd spent most of my days and nights working out.

My defenses hit the ground  
And they shatter all around  
So open and exposed

Three and a half months later the guy showed up. Unfortunately for him I was no longer unaware of my surroundings. Thanks to the self defence classes at the gym and my teacher and friend Xandr, I'd come out on top with him on the floor with a broken neck.

But I found strenghth in the struggle  
Face to face with my troubles

It was true. I'd found my strength the hard way with no help from any one in the burg and I was stronger now.

When you're broken  
In a Million little pieces  
And your tryin'  
But you can't hold on any more  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believin' in your self  
When you're broken

I watched as Mary Lou who'd been facing me with her head down, tensed and slowly looked up. When she saw me her eyes went wide and she stared. Blindly her hand reached out for Connie.

Little girl don't be so blue  
I know what you're going through  
Don't let it beat you up  
Hittin' walls and gettin' scars  
Only makes you who you are  
Only makes you who you are  
No matter how much your heart is aching  
There is beauty in the breaking  
Yeah

God knows, I'd hit a lot of walls in my life and I had too many scars to count but I had gotten most of them doing a job I loved.

By now every one of them was staring. None of them moved, like they were afraid that if they did I would disappear.

When you're broken  
In a Million little pieces  
And your tryin'  
But you can't hold on any more  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believin' in your self  
When you're broken

My eyes met Rangers and I couldn't look away. For once he wasn't wearing his blank mask and I could see all the emotions on his face. Shock, disbelief, love, hope.

Better days are gonna find you once again  
Every piece will find it's place  
When you're broken  
When you're broken

Ranger stood and walked up to the edge of the stage. He looked up at me as I finished the song.

When you're broken  
In a Million little pieces  
And your tryin'  
But you can't hold on any more  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believin' in your self  
When you're broken  
Oh When you're broken  
When you're broken  
When you're broken

I set the mic down on the bar sool and walked to the edge. Ranger helped me down and set me on the ground.

"Ranger.." I whispered and he cruched me to him. One of his hands was tangled in his my hair holding me to him.

"Please tell me you're real." He said and it sounded like he was begging.

"Yes, I'm real. I'm right here." I said. His arms tightened and I gasped. He let go immediately.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked.

"No," I said quietly. "Just a few broken ribs."

He wrapped me back in his arms less tightly this time.

"We... we all thought you were dead. You'd been gone for almost five months and your apartment was ransacked. We searched for you but we couldn't find you." He said.

"I left on my own. I couldn't risk having the people I love get hurt by him. I was in Newark for the first for months and point pleasant after that. I didn't know how you guys would react if I just showed up again."

I stared shocked when he got down on one knee.

"Babe, Marry me please. I need you in my life and I love you so much. I may have said a lot of stupid things over the years but give me the chance to prove that I love you with every thing I am. I'm in love with you Stephanie Plum."

I felt tears well up in my eyes as I nodded. Better days were definitely on their way.


	3. Here comes goodbye

**I can hear the truck tires coming up the gravel road  
And its not like her to drive that slow, nothings on the radio  
Footsteps on the front porch, I hear my doorbell  
She usually comes right in, now I can tell**

She knew. She had too. I had been waiting for it, hoping against hope that she wouldn't find out. But she had. I could tell. Her car had been sitting in the driveway for thirty minutes now and she hadn't gotten out yet. I wondered who had told her. Probably one of Manoso's men. The door closed quietly and then there was a knock on the door.

**Here comes goodbye, here comes the last time  
Here comes the start of every sleepless night  
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry  
Here comes the pain, Here comes me wishing things had never changed  
And she was right here in my arms tonight, but here comes goodbye**

I opened the door slowly and looked up from the floor to see Stephanie. Her eyes were dry, no puffiness. She hadn't been crying. Behind her were three men in black. They all wore blank faces.

"Most of my stuff is either in the upstairs bedroom or the bathroom." She said. Her voice was dead. It held no emotion like it usually did.

**I can hear her say I love you like it was yesterday  
And I can see it written on her face that she had never felt this way  
One day I thought Id see her with her daddy by her side  
And violins would play here comes the bride**

I let them into the house without hassle and Stephanie went straight for the kitchen. She opened the cabinet above the fridge and pulled down a bottle of tequila.

"I'm sorry." I said. She didn't say anything. She just tipped the bottle back and drank a few fingers. "I should have told you he-"

"He isn't dead." She said. It sounded like she was sure but I had seen the report. I had seen the proof. "I would know if he was dead. He can't be dead."

"Steph, I saw the reports. He's gone." I said. This was so hard. She wasn't showing any emotion. I don't think she was feeling any either. She shook her head sadly like I didn't know what he was talking about.

The men came down with boxes and Steph got up, taking the bottle with her.

"Goodbye Joe." She said quietly and left.

**Here comes goodbye, here comes the last time  
Here comes the start of every sleepless night  
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry  
Here comes the pain, Here comes me wishing things had never changed  
And she was right here in my arms tonight, but here comes goodbye**

I only saw her a few times in the next few days. She looked empty, alone, but not sad. Others tried to console her, cheer her up but she kept denying that Manoso was dead.

It was finally the day of the funeral and the department was going and so was I.

I was dressed in my dress uniform and standing at attention with the others when Steph's car pulled up. She got out and stared hard at the casket with out moving. She wasn't wearing the custom black dress. She was wearing black cargos and t-shirt, laced up black boots. She had a gun at her hip.

The big guy named Tank guided her to the seat reserved for the widow. He sat in the seat beside her as a military man came over. He saluted her and I saw the shock on his face when she stood and saluted him back. He handed her a Randall knife.

"This belonged to Ric." He said. She sat back down after clipping the knife to her hip. She took out her cell phone and set it on her thigh. The ceremony was long and the farther it lasted the more agitated Stephanie got. She kept glancing at the cell phone. As the shots went off I saw her start to fall apart. The first tear fell as they started folding the flag.

When they handed her the flag she clutched it to her chest and bowed her head. No one was going to get up until she was ready and they all knew this might take awhile. I knew that every one had cleared the schedules for the rest of the day and gladly stayed to make sure she was okay.

We stayed for a little over an hour and a half before her cell rang. It was the Batman theme song and all of Manoso's men froze and looked at her in disbelief. Her head snapped up and looked around and stopped. I looked to where her eyes were and couldn't believe my eyes.

Manoso was standing there, leaning against a tree. He was wearing faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt. His hair was down. Stephanie stood with tears in her eyes and walked over to him. She stopped about a foot away from him and unholstered the gun she was wearing. He took it with a small smile and slipped it into the back of his jeans. She started to hand him the knife but he shook his head.

He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. His eyes were closed like it was too much and she leaned up and kissed him.

**Why does it have to go from good to gone?  
Before the lights turn on, yeah and you're left alone  
All alone, but here comes goodbye**

The crowd went silent as they watched the two of them together under the tree kissing. Even I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Manoso stepped back and pulled something out of his pocket and put it on her left ring finger. An engagement ring. She looked up at him and pressed his hand onto her lower tummy.

She was pregnant. But with whose baby?

She dropped her head and I could tell she was crying. He said something and she nodded. When he looked directly over at me and crooked his finger at me I walked over.

"Joe." He said, and we shook hands.

"Ranger." I said nodding back at him.

"My Babe is pregnant with your child." He said. He didn't look angry or sad or blank. "Do you want to be a father?"

I looked at Stephanie then back at him and nodded.

"You can't have her." He said. "She is mine and I promised I would never let her go back to you but I will not stop you from being in the child's life. As long as you understand that you have no control over her at all. You would be able to come to all the appointments that Stephanie is comfortable with, and joint custody, but you also need to be okay with the fact that this child will be raised with me in his or her life because I am a permanent part of Stephanie's life from now on."

"You'd adopt him as your own as well?" I asked. He nodded.

"Just because he's not mine biologically doesn't mean I won't love him. He is Stephanie's."

"Can I speak to you alone for a moment?" I asked. He kissed Steph and walked about ten feet away. "Just promise me one thing." I said. "If it's a girl, please scare the shit out of any boys that want in her pants."

For the first time I saw a smile from him that was not directed to Stephanie.

"I can do that." He said. We shook once again and walked back over to Steph.

She immediately wrapped her arms around Manoso and nuzzled into his chest.

"You can call me Carlos." He said to me. "And just so you know, I plan on making lots of brothers and sisters for him to play with."

I nodded and turned to walk away.

**Here comes goodbye, here comes the last time  
Here comes the start of every sleepless night  
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry  
Here comes the pain, Here comes me wishing things had never changed  
And she was right here in my arms tonight, but here comes goodbye **

"Oh, Joe?" Steph shouted and I turned back to her with one eyebrow quirked up. "I told you he wasn't dead."

I laughed.

"I never should have doubted you."


End file.
